Re: Luftwaffe stamp, question

Re: Luftwaffe stamp, question

Hi Didier,

Collectors and other observers of WWII German military artifacts, especially weapons,often see small die stamps on them with a stick figure representation of the German Reicheagle and a number, or a stylistic Eagle with a number in it.
Commonly referred to as “Waffenamts”, they were inspection stamps which identified the item as being inspected and passed, at some stage of its manufactur-ing process for the German Army or Luftwaffe.
Complex items such as firearms would have multipleWaffenamts on them.
When the Nazis took power in 1933, Germany started a massive rearmament program.
A part of this process was the Heereswaffenamt (He.Wa.A. - ArmyOrdnance Office) here after referred to as the HWA.

The beginnings of the HWA were in the Waffen und Munitions besschaffungsamt of the First World War but the Waffenamt was founded officially by orders dated Nov. 8., 1919 and renamed as Heeres-Waffenamt on May 5. 1922.
German weapon inspections in the factories themselves were overseen by the Heeresabnahmewesen (Army Acceptance Organization), also known as the Abnahmeabteilung des Heeres Waffenamts (Wa.Abn. - Acceptance Section of Army Ordnance Office) here after referred to as the Abnahme.
This group was a subsidiary of the HWA.

The Airforce ( Luftwaffe) has a similar ambt, thats the marking you see on you blade.
Its the Inspectors code, luft 5 or 6 are commonly seen, the inspector approved many different FACTORIES.
So 5 will be found on weapons of different makers.

Hope that clearifies it.
Cheers Ger

The Heereswaffenamt was headed by General der Artillerie Professor Becker until sometime in 1940,when it was taken over by General der Artlillerie Emil Leeb until its end in 1945.